Ty Lawson hasn’t played in eight games and isn’t returning to action Saturday night at Portland. When he’s able to return from a fractured rib remains a question mark. But one thing’s for certain, the Nuggets don’t plan to shut him down.

“No, I don’t think so,” coach Brian Shaw said Friday. “I think that you still want him to get back and play.”

Lawson continues to improve but is experiencing enough pain that it’s preventing a return. Shaw has said he wants his point guard 100 percent healthy before he returns to the court.

The Nuggets are 1-7 without Lawson during this latest stretch. And their offense has fallen off big time. The Nuggets are averaging only 93.3 points per game during Lawson’s latest absence, nearly 10 points below their season average. In their 112-89 loss to visiting Brooklyn on Thursday, the Nuggets scored eight points in the first quarter. They are shooting only 38.7 percent in the past eight games, their assists are down by nearly four per game and their turnovers are up one per game.

“One thing that I’ve seen in his absence is that the guys kind of light up when he’s out there,” Shaw said of Lawson. “Not only on the court — when we’re in the plane, we’re on the bus, we’re in the locker room, they kind of congregate around him. I think it’s the same way on the court; they get a little bit more confidence when he’s out there on the floor with them. That’s something we’re sorely missing right now.”

Lawson suffered the rib injury Feb. 8, late in the first half of a road game against Detroit.

“When he’s out there, it makes it easier for everyone else to do what they do, what their strengths are,” Shaw said.

And when Lawson isn’t on the court, there is more pressure on his teammates to do more.

“That’s just the value of him and what he means to our team,” Shaw said. “Going forward, we’re pretty much out of the mix in terms of the playoffs, being realistic at this point. But you still want to see combinations of guys working together … and our young guys get a chance to have the focus a little more on them and play in combination with Ty, looking forward to the rest of the season and what possibly lies ahead for next season as well.”

DENVER AT PORTLAND

8 p.m. Saturday, ALT; 950 AM, 104.3 FM

Spotlight on Robin Lopez: The 7-footer from Stanford is the man in the middle for the Trail Blazers, brought in to replace J.J. Hickson (now with Denver) as their starting center. Lopez, 25, has been everything Portland hoped he would be, providing rim protection and strong rebounding. In his past four games, Lopez has averaged 10.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots.

NOTEBOOK

Nuggets: In addition to the absence of injured point guard Ty Lawson (rib), Denver is expected to play without forwards Darrell Arthur (hip) and Wilson Chandler (knee). The Nuggets have had 182 games missed by injured players this season.

Blazers: Forward LaMarcus Aldridge won’t play because of a strained groin, an injury that has cost him five games already. But the Blazers have gone 4-1 without him. “They move the ball. They shoot the ball very well. They shoot free throws very well,” said Nuggets coach Brian Shaw. Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post

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